F1 will not replace the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs if they are canceled due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The races to be held in Bahrain from April 10-12 and Saudi Arabia from April 17-19 are in serious jeopardy as both countries are among the Gulf states attacked by Iran in retaliation for US and Israeli airstrikes as conflict escalates in the region this month.
Sky Sports News understands that a decision on whether to cancel the two races will be made by March 20 at the latest and no rounds will be replaced if they are not held.
Portugal’s Portimart and Italy’s Imola circuit are being discussed as alternative options, but there will not be enough time to host the event in April.
This means the F1 calendar will be reduced from 24 races to 22, with a five-week gap between the third race of the season in Japan from March 27-29 and the Miami Grand Prix from May 1-3.
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“First of all, our approach is the safety of all parties involved, the people and the promoter itself,” F1 president Stefano Domenicali told Sky Sports F1.
“I do not want to make any statements today as the situation is evolving and there is still time to make the right decision. This decision will be considered by all.”
“As always, so far, we want to stay calm and ensure the right timing to make the right decision.”
Team leaders discuss Middle East conflict
Domenicali will meet with F1 team principals in Melbourne on Saturday to discuss a range of topics, including the potential cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown said: “This is the first time all of our teams have come together. It’s taken a lot of effort just to get here in Australia, so there hasn’t been much communication on this yet.”
“It’s clear that the sport, ourselves, our fans, our partners, our race teams, all of them are of the utmost importance from a safety point of view. We have to see how things play out and make the right decisions for the health of everyone involved in the sport.”
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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff added: “First of all, Formula 1 becomes a second priority in a sense. It’s a very important topic in this region, so I think it’s probably quite difficult to sit down with the local leaders and say, ‘What about a Grand Prix?'”
“I think it’s up to the FIA to manage that situation while respecting Stefano as the promoter and the current challenges they have. My hunch is that we really hope we can race there. Is it realistic for us to race there at this point in time?”
“I’m not sure. But again, I’ll leave it to Stefano to manage the situation. I hope that the situation improves overall and I can return as soon as possible.”
Domenicali: It wasn’t an easy week.
This weekend’s season opener, the Australian Grand Prix, started largely unaffected by the Middle East conflict, but there were some logistical problems as some staff were initially scheduled to travel from Europe to Australia via the Gulf region.
Pirelli canceled a tire test in Bahrain last weekend that McLaren and Mercedes were due to take part in, while a curfew banning teams from working at night has been lifted in Melbourne as the team faces problems transporting personnel and cargo to Australia.
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Domenicali said: “It’s not been an easy week. Of course, seeing what was going on, we had people in Dubai and Bahrain for the Pirelli test, but we had to cancel. We also had people in Doha.”
“We had a lot of flights booked through the Middle East, so it was a very intensive few days working with the government to reschedule everything.
“We had a special program to get everyone in the area out and it was a challenge, but it was a great success to be here.
“Sometimes people believe the team is only 30 or 40 people, but we have 3,000 employees who have to travel around the world. It’s a big beast.”
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Sky Sports F1 Australian GP Schedule
Saturday, March 7th
0.10am: F3 sprint*
1:10am: Australian GP Practice 3 (session starts at 1:30am)*
3:05am: F2 Sprint*
4:10am: Australian GP qualifying build-up*
5am: Australian Grand Prix Qualifying*
7am: Ted’s Qualification Notebook*
9:45pm: F3 Feature Race*
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Sunday, March 8th
12:20am: F2 Feature Race*
2:30am: Preparation for Australian Grand Prix: Grand Prix Sunday*
4am: Australian Grand Prix*
6am: Australian Grand Prix reaction: Checkered flag*
7am: Ted’s Notes*
7.55am: Australian GP race replay*
10am: Australian GP Highlights (also on Sky One)*
*Also held at Sky Sports Main Event
Watch every race of the 2026 F1 season live on Sky Sports, starting with the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
